New Politics is one of those bands you root for. They are super nice guys who have had those “ramen days,” roller coaster experiences as an up-and-coming band, and are super grateful for opportunities to headline places like the Troubadour, even though they admit they don’t “sleep that much.”

“But this is what we asked for,” the band said sincerely. “We won’t complain.” In an interview with Ted Stryker at the Red Bull Sound Space at KROQ, New Politics talked about their “very unreal” performance at the Troubadour, the first time they ever heard their song on the radio (hint: it was a world famous station), and how they overcame being just a poor band to being a poor band with a headlining tour and a steady following.

The band agreed that the crowd was “crazy” and that they didn’t sleep that much. “That’s another check on the bucket list.”

Rolling into the Sound Space, the still seemed fresh and played hit songs like “Harlem” (which they told a fan in the audience was like their “romantic adventure”) and “Tonight You’re Perfect” with their quintessential live show energy.

It makes sense that the band is so humbled by the love of their fans, so energetic and ready for anything, and so inspired by touring with bands like Thirty Seconds to Mars, P!nk, and Fall Out Boy: this is their second chance.

In 2010, New Politics signed to a different label, ran out of all their money, and had to start over. Soren Hanson joked that their manager said that eating ramen and not being able to pay rent was something that they’d all be able to laugh at later.

“And I’m like, ‘There’s no way I’m ever going to laugh at this,'” remembered Hanson. “And at that time, we wrote a song called ‘Overcome.’ And that song, in some weird way, is probably describing the situation. Somehow we kept on going because we wanted it so much, so that song is very, very personal to us because that’s like really, really explaining the situation of where we were and actually that we overcame that situation.”

How did they overcome from that “basement to Copenhagen” to jumping around and screaming at 4am after hearing their song on KROQ for the first time?

“You just keep your goals high,” said the band. “It’s really inspiring. Everything that’s been happening. It just keeps us going. Our fans and all the love that we get from everybody is just humbling and inspiring.”